Boat-releasing gear



April 27 H. J. FERGUSN gom? RELEASING GEAR Filed March 20, .1924

2 Sheets-Sh'eet l April 27 ,11926. 1,582,741

H. J. FERGUSON BOAT RELEAS ING GEAR 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l boat tackle is held.

Patented Apr. 27,` 1926.

UNITED STATES HERBERT JAMES FERGUSON,V*OF GARELOCHHEAD, SCOTLAND.

BOAT-RELEASING GEAR.

'Appngation med Maren 2o, 1924. sei-iai No. 700,692.

To all 'whom it may cof/warn:

Be it known that I, HERBERT JAMES FER- eUsoN, a subject oi' the King of England, and residing at 1 Glencairn Terrace, Garelochhead, in the county of Dumbarton, Scotland, have invented Improvements vinv and Relating t0 Boat-Releasing Gear, of which the following is a specification;

rllhis invention has reference to hooks or hooking mechanisms, primarily those used in ships boats at the bow and stern which require to be simultaneously released during the launching operation to avoid endwise tipping of' the boat and ultimate capsizing thereof; and it relates to that kind of hook which is pivotally supported so as to move about its pivot into the closed oi locking position, and out of same.

In the hook mechanism according to this invention, the means for .securely locking the hook in the closed. position, gravity, or the action of the load upon the hooks is not depended upon to open the hook subsequent to the release ot the locking means; and this is overcome by the provision of means for positively swinging the hook to open position after release of the locking means, so that no mishap can occur due to tardy action of the hook in opening, and further by the association of the positive hook opening device with the locking means, as herein described, one action or motion effects, in proper sequence, the release of the lock and the positive Opening of the hook.

A further object and effect of the invention is to provide releasing hook mechanism of the kind referred to which is simple, reliable, and inexpensive.

The invention is illustrated in the accom panyingdrawings, which form a part of the specificationand will be described by the aid of same.

Figure 1 is a side elevation et my improved releasing hook and operating device;- Figure 2 is a plan; and Figure 3 is an end elevation of the mechanism.

Figures i and 5 areplan and side views of the application of the device to a lifeboat; and Figure 8' illustrates a slightly modified construction ofthe hook.

Referring now to the drawings, 2 indicates the hook proper, which is provided with a throat 4L ,beneath the bill 5, beneath which a ring, chain, loop or the like of the The hook is pivoted by a pin 6 in the cheek brackets 19, the under surface of the bill is curved the radial distance of the curve from its axis increasing from the back portion ofr the throat t to the bill tip.

They hook has a latch 7 in which is a recess 8 open on the same side as the throat 4; while a tail 9 extends from the boss of the hook outwardly in the opposite direction to that of the body' kot the hook, and forms a lever. The hook is positively rocked uponits pivot by means of an operating bar 11, supported and adapted to slide in the base 20a, and provided with an elongated slot 12, through which the tail 9 extends, and also an aperture 13 adapted to receive a latch 7.

The full lines in Figure 1 show the latch in its closed position, the operating bar11 having been pushed towards the right of the figure until the edge of the aperture 13y en ters the recess 8 of latch 7, thus preventing the hook swinging to the right to the open position and thereby locking the hook in its closed position. In this position the end of the tail 9 lies within the slot 12 about midway between the back or outer end there of and a cross piece 14, that is, a sufficient distance from the outer end to allow fora :lnovement'of the operating bar l1 to-an eX- tent to withdraw the metal at the front edge of the slot or aperture 13 from the opening 18 of the latch y7 and without encountering the lever or tail 9. From the above it will be seen that by moving the operative bar 11 to the left, as viewed in Figure 1, a certain free movement of the bar is allowed to release the latch 7, and then by a continuation of the movement of the bar thento cause the outer edge of slot 12 to engage tail or lever 9, `and swing the tail inwardly through the slot 12, thus positively swinging `the hook to the right on its pivot 6, to the open position, indicated by the dotted lines.

In this open position it will be observed, that the hook 2 assumes a position subst-antially parallel with the bar 11, the hook 2 and latch 7 being on one side of the bar, and the tail 9 extending transversely of the bar, and extending through the slot 12, the inner end of the latter engaging the tail at its base y where it joints the hook.

Movement of the operating bar to the right will positively swing the tail through slot 12 and hoek 2 to the lett into the closed position, the latch 7 being at the same time swung into the aperture 13 and subsequently overhung by the bar to lock the hook.

By this arrangement a single movement ot the operating bar will serve to either unlock and positively open the hook, or positively close the hook and lock it in such position.

It is preferred to form the bar 11 with the slot 12 and aperture 13 separate, because in the closed position of the hook, the portion 14 of the bar separating these openings assumes a position beneath the tail about midway oi' the length of the latter, and constitutes a stop, preventing the tail, now substantially parallel with the bar, from swinging into the slot 12, thus supplementing the locking action ot latch 7 to prevent the swinging of the hook to open position.

As shown the latch 7 is 'formed by means of the recess 8, the bar 11 entering this recess in the locking operation, and the metal 18 at the top ot the recess 8 engages with the bar in a downward direction and constitutes a stop, limiting the movement ot the hook in swinging to its closed position.

The openings or slots 12 and 13 are divided by spaced bars 14, 15, and 16, the bar 14 causes the hook to turn to the closed position, the bar 15 to turn the hook to the open position, and the bar 16 supplemented by the bar 14,- to lock the hook in the closed position. The inner edge of bar 15 and the outer edge ot the tail 9, are correspondingly inclined, to facilitate their engagement and the movingof the latter.

For facility ot operation, a depression 17 is formed at the junction of tail 9 with the hook, and thebar 14 is'curved so that in the open position of the hook, the bar 14 is located in the depression, and the rise formed by the latter constitutes a cam surface, accelerating the turning movement ot the tail at the commencement or" the closing operation, but also necessitating an urge to turn the hook, and by this means resisting the accidental closing movement.

Vihilel the incline ot throat 4 would enable the hook being utilized without any additional member, it is preferred to use in conjunction with the hook, a member (2o-operating with it t0 form a closed eye Jtor the reception of the ring, chain, loop or the like to be attached; and for this purpose the cheek brackets 19 are provided at each side ot the hook, and project up as shown, and they are provided with an outwardly iared recess 2O at the top, transversely aligned with the throat 4 ot the hook when in its closed position. rlhese brackets which are formed on the base f2()a support the pivot pin 6 of the hook` and the base is provided with openings .tor the hook and its tail registering with the openings 12 and 13,

In the closed position of the hook, the innerl end ot' the throat 4 registers with the inner ends of recesses 2O as stated, and the bill 5 closes the tops ot' these recesses, while when the hook is opened, the bill swings clear ot the recesses.

The bar 11 can be operated in any suitable way, a simple meansI consisting of a lever 23, engaging at one end the bar 11, and by working the lever the bar 11 can be slid to and tro.

The hook shown is adapted especially for use with ships lite-boats, for connecting and disconnecting the falls or tackle of the boat, at either end, the positive operation of the hook in both the opening and closing operations, for the ready connection ot the boa-t to the vtalls,and tor its release being highly advantageous when launching.

To prevent the lite-boat being upset due to untimely release o either one of the hooks at different times, an arrangement as is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 is employed, wherein a hook is attached at either end of the boat upon the bow and stern decks, the bases 20a being securely bolted, as at 24 through the decks to the keel 25, or otherwise solidly secured. A common operating bar 11, with adjusting sleeve 11a is provided for the operation of both hooks simultaneously, the hand levers 23 being pivoted preterably in a horizontal position at 26, to the side of the boat, adjacent to one oit the seats, which carries a bracket 27, with a slot 27a in it, within which the lever is adapted to swing when the hooks are closed; a pin 27b passingthrough openings in the bracket and lever, to lock the latter against accidental movement. By operating a hand lever 30, bothhooks are opened or closed at the same time, the positive operation ot the hooks as above described precluding the possibility ot either one operating in advance ont the other; and thus during launching, the boat is lowered horizontally, and when released taking the water on an even keel.

For simplicityY of installation, both hooks are mounted to open in the same direction,

tor example, to the right, as viewed in the drawings. common bar 11 operatively'connectedV at oppositeends to/the hooks, as above described, and provided with a single lever 23' or equivalent device, it can be moved to thev left to unlock and positively open both hooks at the same time by one movement. However, as the hooks are located in the central line of the boat, in order to avoid the presence ot unnecessary equipment within the body space ot the lite-boat provided for the accommodation of passengers, the central portion of the operating bar 11, extends from end to end of the boat at one side ot the latter, near the gunwale, and each endof the central portion ot' the bar is connected with the operative ends ot the bar, by a` pivoted lever 30, extending from the side of By this arrangement with the Y the boat to the centre, Where the hooks are located. However should it be desired to locate the operating bar at the bottom of the boat centrally along the keel, this arrangement can be readily made by elongating the lower portion of the hook, as shown in Figure 6, so that the tail 9 and catch 7 will be disposed at a sufficiently low level to act with the operating bar which, in this arrangement, would be in a straight line fore and aft, from one hook to the other.

F rom the above it Will be seen that the hool; is positive in both its opening and closing operations, and it is one which is solidly locked against accidental movement, and moreover one which is admirably adapted for equipments requiring simultaneous operation ot more than one hook.

In the case of the hook mechanism being used in connection with boats and the raising and lowering tackle, the hook may be adapted to engage with an eye ot a pulley block or with a hook on same.

vvihile'the invention has been described mainly as applied to releasing gear in Which the engaging and disengaging hoolr is operated by and operates in connection with means `having rectilinear movement, it may be operated by a means having circular movement, such as a pivoted device having a part which operates npon the main hook by the circular movement thereoji1 similarly as by the plate above described; and such pivoted dee vice having a part for holding or locking the hook in the position to which it has been moved; and the operating part also locks the hook in its engaged position.

1What is claimed is l. A pivoted releasing hook mechanism including a pivotedhook having a tail part and a latch,'and an operating member cooperating with the latch and provided With independent operative portions to act upon two separate points ot' the `tail part when the hook is closed. Y

2. A pivoted releasing hook mechanism, comprising a pivoted hook having alatch and a tail part, and a sliding operating mein` bercooperating with the latch and with the tail part to hold the hook in closed position, said member cooperating with the tail part when the latch is released to move the hook to open position.

A pivoted releasing hook mechanism, comprising a. hoolchaving a latch and a tail part, and an operating member having leans to engage with the hook in closed position, said operating mem-` ber having means to simultaneously engage with Vthe tail to hold the latter in position to maintain the hoot; closed when thelatch is engaged.

t. A pivoted releasing hooli'meehanism,

comprising a hook having a latch and a tail` part, n-nd 4an operating member having means to engage with the latch to lock thehook in closed position, said operating member having means to simultaneously engage with the tail to hold the latter in position to maintain the hook Closed when the latch is engaged, said operating member being also provided with means ,'to'cngage with the tail part when the latch is released to positively swing the. hook to open position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication.

H. J. FERGUSON.

latch to lock the y 

